The Blessing of Birthdays
by fanfictor101
Summary: Birthdays are time for family. Callie's family is Jude. From foster home to foster home, they've kept their own traditions, keeping memories of their parents alive. How will that change when they reach the Fosters? One shot written off a story request from Once Upon a Grey's Fan. I don't own anything.


_**Honestly, not sold on my title so I'm going to apologize for that first. Now that that's out of the way, I got a request from Once Upon a Grey's Fan to write a story about Callie's birthday being unknown/missed and the aftermath of when the family finds out. Takes place early season 1, back in the good old days. I liked the prompt and gave it my best shot. Hopefully you all enjoy it too!**_

"Callie."

Callie moaned quietly at the gentle nudge to her side.

"Callie, wake up."

She turned towards the wall, putting her hand on her ear to block out the noise. She grunted at a jab in her back and turned, squinting at the blurred face of Jude in front of her.

"What?" she sighed, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. He lifted the edge of her blanket and cuddled into her side. She smiled, resting her head against his.

"Happy birthday," he whispered. She pressed a kiss to his forehead.

"Thanks baby," she muttered back. She glanced over to Mariana's bed and released a breath at the still form. She was still asleep. Thank god.

"Year in review?" he asked. Callie smiled softly.

"Start of the year? Terrible. Past few months? Pretty good."

"Good," he stated, cuddling into her shoulder. "I have a present for you."

"You didn't need to do that," she replied.

"You say that every year, but it doesn't stop you from getting me one," he countered.

"Fair enough," she chuckled softly.

"Do you think Stef and Lena know it's your birthday?"

"I don't know," she answered. "It's in my file, and I know they've read it, so probably."

"What do you think they'll do?"

"I doubt they'll do anything," she said. "We're not their kids Jude. It's not their responsibility to celebrate our birthdays."

"But they've been really nice about everything else," he tried.

"I know bud, but I'm not gonna hold out any hope."

"But what if we told them?"

"Jude, we're not going to tell them," she stated.

"Why not?"

"Because we just aren't. If we tell them then they'll feel like they have to do something even if they don't want to and it'll just make things awkward. Please baby, don't tell them."

"I just want you happy," he said softly. Callie's fingers played with his hair.

"I woke up to my favourite brother coming to cuddle me and wish me good morning. Trust me, I'm happy," she replied, kissing his forehead.

"If you could have anything in the world, what would you want?" he asked.

"I'm pretty happy with just this," she answered. "This moment? Right now? This is all I want for my birthday."

"Too bad, because I got you something else."

"Yeah?" she chuckled. "Should've saved your money and just given me hugs all day."

"Well we have different classes, so I couldn't hug you all day." Callie smiled and shook her head at him. He reached down beside the bed and picked up a grocery bag, placing it on Callie's stomach. "Happy seventeen."

"Thanks Jude," she smiled.

Callie held him close with her right arm as she maneuvered her way into the bag with her left. Jude pulled the bag back for her as she gripped the notebook that had been inside. The swirled blues of the cover made her smile and she flipped it open to admire the lines.

"Look," Jude prompted, pointing to the rings that bound it. A pen sat inside the rings. Callie pulled it out and smiled.

"It's an erasable pen - isn't that cool? And it's green!"

"Erasable, huh?" she asked. "That's so cool."

"I thought since you're playing guitar again maybe you could start writing songs...like before."

"Buddy -"

"And if you didn't want to do that, then you could write about the pictures you take, or about anything really. I don't know. It's kind of stupid but -"

"Jude, it's perfect," she smiled. His anxious eyes met hers and relaxed at the love in her gaze.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah," she insisted. "I love it - both of them. The notebook is beautiful and then pen is so cool. And you know I love green."

"I just wanted you to have a good birthday," he shrugged.

"It's already the best birthday I've had in a while," she answered.

"You say that every year," he stated.

"Well that's because every year you get better at this," she shot back with a grin. He stuck his tongue out at her and she shook her head.

He settled in against her again, the two of them laying in silence. Mariana's alarm would go off soon enough and the moment would be broken. She was sure Mariana would question Jude's presence, but couldn't find it in herself to tell him to leave. Their lives had been turned upside down living here and though she feared what would happen when they were forced to move on, she reveled in the chance to feel at peace, to feel at home, once more. Jude had flourished in this house, finally catching up to where he needed to be in school. Lena had been a saviour working with him every day and talking him through what he was missing or what he didn't understand. She and Stef both encouraged him to be open and feel safe. And he did. For the first time since he was around six years old, he'd been free to feel safe and happy. Encouraged to be who he was at all times. It was what she'd been praying for since their first home and now that they'd found it, she never wanted to leave.

Mariana's alarm sounded across the room and a groan followed shortly after. Jude chuckled at the moan, Callie trying to shush him while trying not to smirk. Mariana rose from her bed, loudly stretching. Callie saw her freeze as she looked over.

"Jude?" she asked.

"Yeah?" he replied.

"What are you doing here?"

"Just wanted to see Callie," he answered. Callie smiled and hugged him to her side.

"Okay…" Mariana trailed off. "Whatever, I'm gonna shower."

Callie's eyes followed her as she crossed the room. Jude looked up at Callie, giving her a smile.

"Thanks for my birthday," she whispered, kissing him one last time.

"Thanks for being born," he responded. Callie gave him a grin as he got up and headed back to his own room. It was their tradition. Every birthday they found some time to cuddle up together. Every birthday they had a moment with just the two of them, remembering how their parents used to wake them, fall asleep next to them, thank them for being born. It had seemed silly at the time but now Callie and Jude lived for those moments.

Callie sighed, getting up and pulling on her clothes for the day. She'd learned early on to shower at night if she wanted hot water in the house. Unfortunately for the rest, the others hadn't picked up on the same lesson.

Callie smiled at her new notebook and pen, tossing them in her backpack to look at and maybe use later. Despite her protests every year, she loved seeing the presents he came up with. They'd never had a lot of money for each other's presents, so Jude's creativity always came through during this time of year.

Callie tossed her backpack around her back and made her way downstairs, dumping it along the wall before heading to the kitchen.

"Morning sweets," Stef called as she tossed together five sandwiches.

"Hey Callie, sleep well?" Lena asked from the stove.

"Yeah, pretty well," she answered.

"Good, any plans for today?"

 _Well it's my birthday_ , her mind called out.

Callie just shook her head.

"That's fine," Stef stated. "You can hang out with us old folks tonight."

"Do the others have plans?" Callie questioned.

"Jesus has volleyball, Mariana is going out with Lexi, Jude has a project at Connor's, and Brandon is going to Mike's."

"Wow, busy kids you've got," she claimed, taking a seat. Callie reached for a piece of toast and started to eat.

"Some eggs too please," Lena added, placing the large plate full in the middle of the table. "You didn't eat much last night, so I'd like to see you eating a bit more today, okay?"

"Okay," she muttered, spooning some eggs on her plate.

Callie sat silently, watching Stef and Lena dance through their morning routine. She loved this. They had this established rhythm that they instinctively knew the steps to. What one started the other would finish. She supposed that came with being together for so long.

"Morning," Jude called as he entered the kitchen. Responses came from both women, Lena giving him a kiss as she passed by. Jude looked at Callie as he sat, the question in his eyes. She shook her head. They didn't know. Or if they did then they were pretending not to.

She'd expected it. She came down with no hope of anything but a normal day...yet her chest ached with a tinge of disappointment. She'd hoped for more. Somehow subconsciously she'd expected more. Perhaps it was because Stef and Lena had defied all other expectations. Maybe she assumed they would've acknowledged it - perhaps even celebrated with her. Not like they had with Brandon or the twins. Those parties had been more extravagant. And Callie wasn't their kid, so they shouldn't waste that money on her anyway, but still…

She watched as the kitchen filled with the others. The room was loud with conversation as each person tried to be heard over the next. They spoke about everything and anything, but never the topic she both hoped and feared for. Jude's hand reached over and gave hers a squeeze. She didn't need the others. She had her brother. That was all that mattered. And birthdays were no big deal anyway - just a reminder that she was one year closer to being out of the system and on her own.

Callie followed her usual routine, riding to school with the rest and spending her time in classes partially listening while the other half of her mind rested in the clouds. She'd taken out Jude's present over lunch and smiled as the pen glided across the fresh paper. She hadn't written in years. When her mom taught her how to play guitar she'd made up songs every other day. Granted they weren't always good songs, but they were still enough to make her parents smile.

She hadn't even thought before she began writing down the words that came to mind. She had no music to go along with it, but felt the words run free and felt no panic for the first time in far too long. She'd filled several pages over the span of her lunch period, eating sporadically as she remembered Lena's request that morning.

School had ended and she'd returned home, spending the evening split between on the couch with her foster parents and in her room strumming the guitar Brandon had given her. That night as she laid in her bed, she felt a comfort wash over her. The day had been nothing special. Aside from Jude's visit in the morning it had been like every other day...yet it was still one of the best birthdays she'd had in years. Just having the Fosters to come home to, having a mother figure concerned with her eating, having the freedom to write what she wanted, siblings to joke around with during breakfast and dinner - that was enough. She was at peace here. And she knew it should concern her, but at that moment she couldn't find it in herself to care. She was happy. She'd had a happy birthday.

The door creaked as Jude snuck in the room, careful not to disturb the sleeping Mariana. He crawled in her bed again and settled into her side.

"Good day?" he asked.

"Yeah," she smiled. "Good day."

"Even though no one knew?"

"I don't need people to know," she replied. "I have you. Anything else that happens will always just be a bonus."

"Love you Callie," he whispered as his eyes fluttered closed. Callie kissed the top of his head.

"Love you too baby."

She felt his breathing level as he fell asleep against her. The final birthday tradition. She would have to wake him the next morning so he'd be up on time, but she didn't care. She was happy. Really and truly happy.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

A week had passed since Callie's not-so-birthday and she was still feeling quite good. Seventeen was nothing special, but she figured she could start looking around for a job soon and making money to support herself after she was kicked out of the system. Foster kids rarely had the funds to support themselves right after their eighteenth birthday. Callie had a bit of money stashed away, but she had a little less than a year now to give herself the cushion she expected she would need.

Callie heard the movement of the other kids in the living room. It was her night to help set the table, not that she cared. Chores here were no real concern. Everything was fairly doled out and she happily took her turns. Stef and Lena's banter always added to the ambiance too.

"Hey Cal, I saw something today for a photography contest. Ages twelve to sixteen. I think you should give it a try," Lena said, setting the table.

Callie shrugged.

"Come on, that could be cool," Stef insisted. "You could get your work out there. Maybe win some prizes."

"I don't know," Callie muttered, placing the cutlery on the table.

"You should try it," Lena repeated.

"Who should try what?" Mariana asked, entering the kitchen with the boys.

"We were just telling Callie that there's a photography contest for up to sixteen year olds and she should submit something," Lena explained.

"Oh my god, yes!" Mariana exclaimed. "You totally should! Your stuff is so good!"

"Yeah, you would kick butt," Jesus replied, taking his seat.

"Thanks," she chuckled.

"She can't," Jude stated, sitting in his place. She gave his head a quick kiss as she passed him to sit down.

"What do you mean bud?" Stef asked. Callie reached to serve herself, smiling at the noise and movement that surrounded the table.

"The contest is for sixteen and under. Callie's not sixteen."

The movement stopped. A silence fell over the table as all eyes centred on Jude and Callie.

"What?" Lena questioned. Callie paid them no mind, taking a bite of her potatoes.

"She's not sixteen," Jude answered, playing with the food on his plate. "Not anymore. She's seventeen now, right Callie?"

"Yup," Callie confirmed, eyes on her plate.

"Since when?"

Callie winced at the sharp edge of Stef's tone.

"Last week," Jude claimed happily. "I got her a journal and a cool pen."

"It was very cool," Callie acknowledged with a wink. She ruffled his hair gently and smiled at his proud grin.

"So you could write stories to go with the pictures you take," he nodded.

"A great idea," Callie responded.

"I'm sorry, you had a birthday and didn't tell us?" Mariana cried.

Callie shrugged, "It's not a big deal."

"No, Mariana's right," Stef insisted, "it's a pretty big deal. Why didn't you tell us sweets?"

"I don't know," Callie countered. "We've never really told foster families. No reason to."

"Well we would've loved to celebrate with you," Lena sighed. "I mean you saw the stuff we did for Brandon and the twins' birthdays, you didn't want a party? Cake? Anything?"

"Callie doesn't really celebrate her birthday," Jude replied. "She doesn't even like me getting her presents, but I do it anyway."

"Brat," she chided affectionately. He stuck his tongue out at her and shied away as she reached out to poke him.

"Love, you should've told us," Stef said sadly, brushing aside some of Callie's hair. Callie's grin fell.

"Sorry," she muttered awkwardly. "I just didn't see the point."

"The point is to celebrate you," Lena answered. "To celebrate how you're growing and becoming an amazing young woman."

"And to eat cake," Jesus interjected. Callie gave a short laugh.

"Sorry to deprive you of cake," she grinned.

"You should be," he replied with a nod, taking a bite of his dinner.

"Wait, so you've never celebrated your birthday?" Brandon asked.

"Well yeah, I mean I used to before we were in the system but after that…" she trailed off with a shrug.

"We tried to the first year after, but when we told the foster parents they told just told us to shut up and let them watch TV in peace. The next week they started leaving us home alone more because Callie was old enough to take care of us," Jude explained.

"Wasn't the worst thing in the world," Callie replied, finishing off her bite. "That foster dad was really weird."

"Yeah, he smelled funny," Jude nodded. "Anyway, after that we just kept moving around so Callie told me not to bother telling people anymore."

"What about for your birthday bud?" Lena asked.

"Please tell me we didn't miss that one too," Mariana moaned.

"Nah, my birthday isn't for a few more months. Callie always takes me to the park for my birthday. We spend the whole day there and she lets me get burgers from the stand and sometimes we get ice cream too - it depends how much money she saved up."

"That sounds like fun," Brandon offered.

"It's a lot of fun. It's like what we used to do with Mom and Dad, but smaller," Jude smiled.

"What do you mean?" Mariana questioned.

"Mom and Dad used to take us to the park for the morning and we just played, then the birthday kid got to pick what we did in the afternoon, and then we'd all go out to dinner and the birthday person got to eat dessert before dinner!"

"You could never finish it all," Callie teased.

"That's alright, you helped me," he grinned. Callie gave a sad smile, turning back to the food on her plate.

She could feel Stef and Lena's eyes on her. She knew they wanted to say more, but she didn't want to hear it.

"It is what it is," Callie stated. "Brandon, can you pass the salad?"

"Sure," he sighed.

Callie ate quietly, trying not to dwell on the silence that had overtaken the table. Jude tried to lighten the mood with stories of his friend Connor, but Callie could feel the weight of the earlier conversation. She didn't see why it was such a big deal. It wasn't like she was actually their kid. Since when did foster parents give a damn about their birthdays anyway? She supposed that deep down she knew the Fosters would care. They'd been different from the start, she knew that, so why had she assumed they wouldn't?

Her fork scraped against the plate as she scooped her last bite. Her eyes hadn't left the table since she'd last spoken. She saw Jude get up out of the corner of her eye and quickly made a move to follow him, placing her dishes in the sink.

Callie rounded the table and bolted up the stairs, letting out a muttered "thanks" as she did. She heard her name being called - by Lena she believed - but continued up the stairs before anymore could be asked of her.

Callie collapsed on her bed, putting her earbuds in and turning on the music before closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. It wasn't an answer. She knew she'd be cornered by them soon, but she could at least escape for now. She could just rest, relax. That was all she wanted.

She felt the bed dip but refused to open her eyes. She knew it was either Stef or Lena, Jude wouldn't have hesitated to curl into her. She wished more than anything he was there snuggled up now. That was always the best part of her birthday. No matter how old they were, at the end of the day the two would sneak out somewhere just to cuddle up and be together. When they were younger it was more acceptable. People hadn't care about the eight year old in her bed, but as they'd grown her various foster parents had made it clear that the state insisted on separate bedrooms for the two and if they broke the rules then Callie and Jude would be punished. Despite that, every year on either of their birthdays they would find a way around it. It was something they'd done with their parents too. They used to all camp out in the living room on birthdays and their parents would cushion the floor with dozens of blankets and pillows before the four of them would watch movies until they all crashed. That had been the best part. Callie knew Jude had loved the park and the dessert best, but for her it had been that marathon, the four of them together as if no one else mattered or existed outside of their little bubble. Every year she'd made them watch Mulan and every year Jude would pick Beauty and the Beast. Her parents would change their picks depending on the new releases, but she and Jude always had first choice.

Callie felt the earbuds pulled from her ears. She tried not to frown at the loss of her music, attempting to relax her face as though she was sleeping.

"Sweets, you don't fall asleep that quickly. Nice try though," Stef stated. Callie sighed, tossing an arm over her eyes. "Hey, we just want to talk for a bit. Then we'll leave you alone."

"It's not a big deal!" Callie insisted, sitting up and looking at the women. Lena was resting beside the bed on a stool she'd pulled over.

"Well it may not be to you, but it is to us," Lena stated.

"Why though?" Callie cried. "Why is it so important to you that you know what day I was born? What difference does it make?"

"Because you're our kid Callie! That makes it important!" Stef replied.

"No I'm not!" Callie argued. She shook her head, scoffing at the declaration. "I'm not your kid. I'm a foster kid who's only here for god knows how long. I'll be gone soon enough anyway, so why does it matter?"

"Callie you matter to us," Lena tried. "Okay? And maybe you're right, maybe you're not our kid but that doesn't mean we don't care about you. You and Jude have been a part of our lives for almost five months now and like it or not, we love you guys. Both of you. And since we care, it means we like to celebrate you both. Not just your birthdays, but your accomplishments too. You were fine when we all went out to celebrate Jude's test that one day."

"Yeah, because he'd been working really hard and I was proud of him," Callie countered.

"You ever think maybe we're proud of you?" Lena questioned.

"For what? Surviving another year?" Callie scoffed.

"For being an amazing person," Lena answered. Callie rolled her eyes. "Hey, you are. Callie you've grown so much since you first arrived. You used to be so guarded and you shut out everyone but Jude. Look at you now! You and Mariana not only get along, but you're actually pretty good friends. You and Brandon are playing music together all the time -"

"Which is a nice break from the same classical piece he used to play a million times a day," Stef muttered. Callie suppressed a smirk.

"You and Jesus have your daily banter, which is fun for us to listen to," Lena smiled. "Callie, you're doing well in class, you have a boyfriend, you're pursuing photography, and most of all you're happier. At least you seem happier to us."

"I am," she muttered. Stef squeezed Callie's knee.

"You're doing so well sweets, and we're so happy having you guys here. You've helped us celebrate everyone else, so why can't you let us celebrate you?"

"I don't know," she shrugged, eyes on her fidgeting hands. Lena placed her hands on top of Callie's.

"Callie?" Stef tried again. "You know we would've done something for you, yes?"

"Yeah, I know," Callie muttered.

"So why didn't you tell us?"

"I just didn't see a point."

"Did you not want to celebrate?" Lena asked.

"Birthdays just…" Callie sighed. "I don't know, they don't exist anymore. They're just something that happened with my parents and now...it just seems stupid. Trivial. I mean why did they waste that time with us anyway? You know? I mean you're just older, it doesn't make a difference."

"They _spent_ that time with you because they loved you," Stef answered. "And just because you're not with them anymore doesn't mean you have to cut off all ties. I know it probably hurts to think about celebrating without them but sweets, you have people who care. You have people who love you and who are more than willing to spend that time with you. It's not a waste. It's never a waste if you're with people who love you."

"I guess," Callie murmured.

"I know you've had some rough homes in the past. The past six or seven years haven't been the easiest for you, but we're not going anywhere," Lena stated. "No matter where you live or what you do with your life, Stef and I will always be here to welcome you home. Our love isn't going away. Understand?"

Callie shrugged, giving a slight nod. It was weird. Just months before Lena had only allowed Callie to stay here under the pretense of it being for a few weeks. Yet within a day that had changed. Their last way station. Their last stopover. This was supposed to be the last place they stayed before their forever family. But as time moved on, Callie felt herself getting comfortable. She was afraid to fall in too deep with this family. They'd made it clear that this arrangement wasn't forever. They'd been sure to state it from the beginning that they weren't in a place to offer Callie and Jude a final home. So why did they do everything they could to include them? Why did they love them so much and hold them near? And why did Callie want no more than to just stay forever? She knew in her heart it would only make it hurt more when they inevitably left.

Callie felt their arms wrap around her and settled into the embraces. She wanted to trust them and tell them everything. She wanted to return their love and fold into the family dynamic she'd grown accustomed to.

"Mama?" The three looked over to the voice. Mariana stood at the door, phone in her hand. "Call for you."

"Thanks Mariana," Lena sighed, standing from her stool. She pressed a kiss to Callie's head before making her way over and grabbing the phone. Callie watched Lena disappear into her bedroom.

"Hey Callie? Can you come downstairs?" Mariana asked shyly.

"Why?" Callie questioned, not trusting the situation.

"Jude wants you."

Callie sighed as she stood, removing herself from the comfort of Stef's arms. Stef settled on the bed, looking up at them.

"Stef, can you come here please?" Lena cried from their bedroom.

"I've been summoned," Stef stated, getting up and passing the girls. "Don't get into too much trouble."

"We would never," Mariana replied with a teasing tone.

Callie's eyes followed Stef into the master bedroom, watching the door shut behind her. Mariana grabbed Callie's hand and pulled her down the stairs. Callie chuckled, attempting to keep up with the fast pace of the younger girl. She was dragged around the corner and stopped at the sight of a ground covered in blankets.

"What's going on?" she asked, cautiously stepping into the room. Jude appeared from the kitchen, the sound of popcorn being made behind him.

"This was always your favourite part," he shrugged with a small smile.

"You don't have to," Brandon insisted, "but Jude was telling us how you guys used to have a Disney marathon back when you celebrated your birthday and we thought…"

"See, as much as you say you're not family, you kinda are," Jesus commented from the floor. "And family celebrates birthdays. Now most seventeen year olds wouldn't want a Disney marathon, but then again nothing about this family is normal."

"Jude said you always started with Mulan followed by Beauty and the Beast," Mariana stated. She pulled out the movie cases and gave a small shrug. "If you don't want to we can clean it all up but...well we thought that it's been a while since you had a family birthday and we'd really like to help you start celebrating again."

Callie's eyes glided across the room. Blankets and pillows had been stacked and placed to form various bed shapes across the floor. Cushions from the couch had been tossed on the ground, the table pushed back to make more room. The smell of popcorn filled the air and Callie stared at the stack of Disney movies waiting to be chosen. She smiled.

"You forgot one part," she said, looking at Jude. His eyebrows furrowed.

"I did?"

"Can't have the movie marathon without pjs," she stated, her smile growing at the excitement of the others.

"So that's a yes?" Jude asked, bouncing at the thought. Callie nodded, grinning at them all.

"Let's do it."

"Okay, pajamas now, then we get settled - deal?"

The others nodded, and the crowd made its way upstairs, each shutting themselves in their bedroom to change.

"I'm so excited for this," Mariana stated, pulling her shirt over her head. Callie chuckled as she grabbed a clean pair of pajama pants and pulled them on. "You don't even understand. I love Disney movies but no one will ever watch them with me."

"Why not?" Callie asked, tugging the shirt over her head.

"Apparently I talk to much or something, I don't know."

"You? No, not possible," Callie replied in a mocking tone. Mariana grabbed the pillow from her bed and chucked it at Callie. Callie laughed as she blocked it, sending it flying over to the door.

"Whoa!" Stef cried. The girls stopped, laughing at Stef's stunned face. "Am I that bad that you need to throw things?"

"Sorry Stef," Callie chuckled.

"You're the one who walked into the war zone," Mariana shrugged.

"Uh huh," Stef replied. "What's with the pajamas? You can't be going to bed already, the sun is still up."

"We're having a Disney movie marathon," Mariana answered. "The boys are getting in their pjs right now. You and Mama have to too."

"Alright," Stef laughed, "but first I need to talk to you Miss Thing."

"Now? We're about to start!"

"It won't take long," Stef countered. "She'll be there in a minute Callie, head down and get comfortable."

"Okay," Callie shrugged. She moved around Stef and made her way down the stairs, finding only Jude in the living room.

"Mama wanted to see Jesus," he stated.

"Weird," Callie commented. Jude shrugged and patted the spot next to him. Callie smiled and settled down on the bigger cushions.

"Just means we get to pick the best spots, right?"

"Definitely." Callie wrapped her arm around her brother and pulled him in to lounge on her.

"You're okay with this, right?" Jude asked hesitantly.

"With what?"

"That I told them. That we're doing this. I was gonna stop them, but they got so excited about doing it and then I got excited because we haven't done it for so long and no other foster family would've let us and I just thought…"

"Bud, it's perfect," Callie smiled, pressing a kiss to his head. "If we were anywhere else I'd have reservations, but...well it feels right doing it here, doesn't it? It feels like they understand."

"They do," Jude nodded. "I wish we could stay here forever."

"Jude…" she sighed.

"I know," he muttered. "I'm just saying."

"Yeah," she replied softly. "I wish we could too."

"Wish you could what?" Lena asked, entering the room. The remaining Fosters trailed in behind her.

"I wish we could start with Mulan - tradition, you know?" Callie answered. Lena gave her a curious glance, but softened it with a smile.

"I'm sure we can start with Mulan. I definitely won't stop it."

"Look at you two all cuddled up," Stef smiled. Callie turned to hide her grin in her brother's hair.

"Can we start already?" Callie questioned.

Stef and Lena exchanged a quick glance.

"Yeah, we can. There's just something we want to talk to you about first sweets. That okay?"

"I guess," Callie shrugged. Jude cuddled into her side, his eyes on the women standing above them. Stef and Lena seemed to catch his glance and gestured for the others to sit down. Stef took a deep breath and leaned over to place a hand on Callie's leg.

"So that was Bill on the phone earlier," she started. Callie tensed, feeling Jude do the same. She rubbed her hand down his side, trying to calm him.

"Oh?" she asked, trying to sound casual.

"He found a family for you," Lena stated.

"He did?" Jude questioned. "Like to adopt us?"

"Well, they'd like to foster you for a bit first," Stef sighed. "Get to know you."

Callie felt Jude sag against her.

"We should go pack then," she muttered, tapping at Jude to get up. Stef's hand remained on Callie's leg, pressuring her to remain seated.

"Just a minute love," she said. Callie's eyes focused on the pillows in front of her. "You have a choice to make."

"About what?" she inquired.

"About where you want to live," Lena replied. "You see, that couple isn't the only one who wants you to live with them."

"We have two families who want us?" Jude probed. "That's never happened before."

"Well, it's happening now," Lena smiled softly. "So this couple who wants to possibly foster for adoption, they've been married for seven years and they have one other kid who was also adopted. Their daughter is seven -"

"I wouldn't be the youngest," Jude muttered. Lena's smile faltered.

"No, you wouldn't. The mom works for a bank, the dad is a security guard. They have a nice house, rooms for each of you so you wouldn't have to share. Good area. They seem really nice," she ended. Callie studied the pain in her eyes.

"And the other family?" she prompted.

"Parents have been together ten years," Stef replied. "One works in education, the other in law enforcement. They have kids and their house isn't as big," she paused, glancing at the other kids, "but they've really come to love you the past few months and can't imagine this house without you in it."

"You want us to stay?" Jude cried, sitting up from Callie.

"For how long?" she questioned, eyes meeting Stef's for the first time since she'd entered the room.

"How does forever sound?" Stef smiled cautiously. "We may not have the resources the other family does, or the space, or the father figure if you want that, but we do love you both so, so much. We can't imagine not having you around. The thought of it just hurts."

"We would very much like to adopt you," Lena stated softly. "Any thoughts?"

"Best birthday ever!" Jude cried, jumping to hug the women. They smiled, pulling him into their embrace, reveling in his excitement.

"Callie?" Stef asked. "What do you think?"

Callie looked over to Brandon and the twins.

"This is okay with you guys?"

"We couldn't be happier," Brandon answered with a smile.

"I told you we were family," Jesus shrugged.

"Honestly, I've been pushing for this for at least a month now," Mariana replied. Callie let out a rough laugh.

"So?" Lena inquired. "Is that a yes?"

Callie looked at the hope in their eyes and let out a smile as she nodded.

"Yeah," she laughed. "Yes - we would...we would really love that."

"She said yes!" Stef cried. The family piled on and around each other, hugging one another close. "Best birthday ever!"

"It's not my birthday," Callie chuckled.

"Belated birthday then," Stef corrected. "How do you like your present?"

"It's way too much," Callie smiled, shaking her head.

"Oh sweetheart, we're your Mamas now. We have 17 years of birthdays to make up for," Lena stated.

"Oh boy," Callie sighed, her grin still present.

"Okay, I will call Bill back and tell him the news," Stef grinned. "You guys pop in the first movie. Let's get this party started!"

The others cried out and pushed each other to get to the comfortable spots. Lena grabbed the popcorn from the kitchen and passed around the bowls, settling down next to Callie for the movie Mariana had put in.

"Happy birthday baby girl," Lena muttered, pressing a kiss to her head. Callie leaned in to the touch.

"Not a baby, I'm seventeen," she replied softly.

"Nah, you'll always be our baby girl. And soon we'll have the papers to prove it. Sound good?"

"Sounds perfect," Callie grinned. Jude leaned into her side, Mariana already debating with him about whether Beauty and the Beast or Little Mermaid was better. Brandon and Jesus sat on the side, Stef coming in and settling between them. The woman glanced over and caught Callie's eye, sending her a quick wink. Callie smiled back and settled into Lena's shoulder. She supposed they'd been right. Birthdays could still be a good thing.


End file.
